Fall for You
by Shikuro-kun
Summary: It's Valentines Day and Naoto decides to visit her bestfriend, Rise Kujikawa. Rise has something on her mind and she decides to tell the Detective Prince.


This is obviously way past the deadline, but I just had to write this up for the sake of simply publishing yet another worthwhile story. While most chose to spend Valentine's with their significant others, I was stuck with a test and a solitary date with what would determine my career's future.

Consider this a precursor of sorts, if you will, to "Close your Eyes".

- Disclaimer: Persona 4 characters do not belong to me.

- Warning: Contains suggested themes.

* * *

Naoto Shirogane yawned lightly as she stood outside of Tokyo's Police Department. It was a tiring and uneventful day in the office, having worked long hours in hopes of completing her assigned paperwork as soon as possible. Outside, the city lights began to twinkle as magic hour had just begun and the Detective Prince walked casually down the street.

Placing her hands in her pockets, she looked around and eyed several civilians laughing and enjoying themselves. It was an ordinary day, or at least it would've been, save for the special ocassion that marked today. The 14th of February - Valentine's Day.

She released an unfortunate sigh and sped up her pace, feeling slightly uncomfortable for observing all the couples that littered the streets of Tokyo. Winter's weather was a lot better today, but she still felt cold despite wearing her blue jacket, hat, and scarf. It was as though she craved for something or someone to keep her warm.

The street light blinked red and Naoto finally came to a halt. There was at least one person she could think of, someone who she would've never thought to grow very close to.

Once the light blinked green, Naoto took a second to check her jacket's pocket. Her fingers searched aimlessly until they connected with a box and she released yet another sigh of relief. She then continued on her way to visit one of her closest friends, Rise Kujikawa.

* * *

"Okay, stop." Rise's dance coach suggested as he stepped back to examine the last of her movements. He was a man who was considerably taller than her and in his late twenties. The dance studio was well lit as he paced in front of her.

Breathing hard and trying to catch her breath, Rise Kujikawa, the most sought out idol of Japan, dropped to her knees from exhaustion. She was practicing for a concert that would take place in a few days and she needed to brush up on a lot of her dance choreography.

"Are you okay?" Her dance coach asked curiously. He extended his right hand to her as she took it without hesitation.

"I'm fine." Her words were breathy but confident.

"Well, you should get some rest for now. We'll call it a day." He smiled gently an gave her a pat on her shoulder for reassurance. "I'm sure you have a date tonight, right?"

Rise swallowed hard and allowed her coach's words to sink in. She didn't really have any specific plans other than Naoto's text saying that she would drop by. "Not really."

"Well that's a first." He flipped through his phone to check the time. "It's unlike you to do nothing on Valentine's Day."

"Yeah, well there's a first for everything right?" Rise took her water bottle in hand and uncapped it, downing its content quickly.

There was sudden knock on the door and her coach walked to check who it was. Standing at a height slightly taller than Rise was Naoto Shirogane. Her blue hair was still short and fashioned in its usual style accompanied by her Detective's cap. One could easily mistake her for a boy based on her choice of clothing.

"You're friend's here." The coach stepped back, allowing enough room for Naoto to enter the dance studio. She waved casually at Rise just in time before she finished the whole bottle of water.

"Naoto-kun!" She smiled happily and rushed up to her closest friend.

"It's great to see you too Rise." She returned the hug moments before Rise broke away.

"Sorry, I'm kind of sweaty." Rise admitted openly.

"It's alright." Naoto offered an understanding smile.

"Well, I should get going. You can lock up the studio when you're done." Rise's coach waved casually as he took his belongings and headed for the door.

"Ah, wait!" Rise ran up to him just in time. "Thanks for today."

"No problem, but I thought you didn't have plans for today. More importantly, I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend." Rise looked back to check if Naoto was listening to their little conversation.

"That's what they all say." He mused playfully. "Just make sure not to have too much fun, okay?"

Rise puffed her cheeks and began pushing him out the door. "Bye!" She slammed it shut and rested her back against its wooden frame.

"Is everthing alright?" Naoto walked up to her with a concerned expression.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Rise managed a half-witted smile at Naoto. "Come on, we need to catch up!" She whisked Naoto away as they linked arms and sat down on the floor to share their stories.

* * *

"I'm glad you're okay." Rise sat down next to Naoto, enjoying the comfortable space and stories they shared together over the past hour. "I know being a Detective isn't easy."

"Yeah." Naoto couldn't help but agree. There were mutiple times in which she'd caught himself in sticky situations."But it's not like being an idol is any easier than mine."

"That's true." Rise sighed in defeat. "It can be really tiring, drilling all these dance routines in one day."

"Better you than me." Naoto grinned and Rise released a hearty laugh.

"You know," Rise rested her head on Naoto's shoulder. "My coach said the silliest thing before he left."

"Which was?"

"He thought you were my boyfriend." Rise continued laughing, amused at how quickly Naoto's cheeks burst bright red.

The Detective Prince looked away, unable to face Rise at the moment. It wasn't uncommon for her to be mistaken as a boy, but the comment did catch her by surprise.

"Either way, I think we'd make a cute couple." Rise smiled at her words. "Don't you think so, Naoto-kun?"

"I hope you haven't forgotten the inevitable fact I'm not a boy."

"Oh I know that, but you can pass as one. I mean you're always dressed so properly and you've got this mysterious yet charming aura. Not to mention the fact that you're really cute." Before she knew it, Rise was showering the Detective Prince with compliments.

Naoto kept silent, unsure of how to respond to Rise's words. Back at Inaba, their peers thought that they'd be cute together, even when they had found out Naoto's true identity. She covered her face to hide her flustered reaction, uneasy as her heart began to race.

"I'm just teasing you." Rise whispered into Naoto's ear.

The Detective Prince looked at Rise who smirked at her with a content grin. "A-Anyways, here." She reached into her pocket and handed the heart shaped box to her best friend. "I didn't want to visit you empty handed."

Naoto was never one to give gifts, much less on a day like Valentine's, so Rise was a little shocked when she took the small box of chocolates. Her lips formed a smile as an idea suddenly popped up in her mind. "Aww, Naoto are you asking me to be your Valentine?"

"W-What? No! It's nothing like that! This is just a friendly gesture!" As expected, Naoto panicked in her seat, frantic to clean up the misunderstanding.

Rise kept smiling but her heart felt slightly pained. To be honest, she wasn't feeling like herself lately. "Oh"

When an awkward silence hung in the air, Naoto moved closer to Rise. "Are you okay?" It was unusual for her friend to stop teasing her so abruptly.

She wasn't but there was no way for Rise to tell Naoto without being questioned endlessly. Her heart felt heavy as she stared blankly at the box of chocolates in her hand. There was no explanation as to why she was feeling uneasy and anxious even though they had both spent time together frequently.

"Rise?" Naoto was growing more concerned with each passing second.

"I'm just glad I have you as a friend Naoto." Rise managed a small smile, but her eyes were filled with a hint of sadness. "I know I can be a handful, but you're always there to listen and talk to me through it all."

Naoto wasn't sure where their conversation was headed or why Rise was speaking so seriously.

"With me being an idol I don't have many friends." She paused and slowly lifted her eyes to meet Naoto's . "So I really appreciate our friendship." Rise didn't stop there. She had more to say, but it was becoming more difficult to form the words. "Naoto, I-I love you."

Naoto blinked and softened her eyes at Rise. "I love you too." She returned the words with a friendly hint.

"No, I don't mean it as just friends Naoto." Rise steeled her words and tightened her grasp on the box of chocolates. "I-I love you as more than a friend." She made sure not to stutter with her next sentence. "Naoto, I'm in love with you!"

"Huh?" Confused, Naoto knit her eyebrows together. Perhaps this was one of Rise's mind games.

She could tell that Naoto didn't quite understand her confession clearly. When it came to matters of the heart, Naoto was always slow even when Rise had hinted her feelings with every encounter they had. She decided to go out on a limb and test her wits. "Do you trust me?"

The sudden question took Naoto aback but she answered anyways. "Yes, of course I do."

"Then trust me, right now." Rise began to advance, inching closer to Naoto until their faces were only a centimeter apart. She was nervous and excited simultaneuously as her heart began to race. It was a gamble and she was sure to lose Naoto if it all went wrong. Slowly, she willed herself to do what she had been hoping to do for so long. Rise needed to express what she had been feeling and what better way to show it than with a kiss.

It was subtle and brief. Naoto's eyes eventually closed in the process and she was unsure of what would happen next.

Rise pulled away, ashamed for asking Naoto to part-take in her selfish desire. "I'm sorry." She apologized immediately and slowly picked herself off the wooden flooring. Her actions were sure to have serious consequences and it was highly possible for their friendship to fall apart. She began walking away, her head lowered in defeat.

"Wait, Rise." Naoto stood up and held her hand loosely from behind.

"I'm really sorry Naoto. I know I shouldn't have done that. It was wrong of me to ask that much of you. I don't know what's wrong with me." Rise didn't bother turning around.

Naoto looked at her reflection through the expansive mirror. She could see how devastated Rise was and it made her feel guilty. "But why me?" Naoto took her stand across from Rise.

There were countless reasons and Rise didn't know where to begin. "You're one of the very few people who understand me. You're kind, intelligent, brave..." She thought back to their times in Inaba, when they had fought off Adachi and Izanami together. Naoto was the first one to jump into the line of fire to protect her and it was then that she began to harbor feelings towards the Detective Prince.

Naoto still couldn't comprehend why Rise had chosen her. She was beautiful, had a great reputation, and a vibrant personality. Rise could have any guy she wanted.

"I'm sorry, I should go now." Rise no longer wanted to continue, if she would then she was sure to fall apart.

If Naoto were to remain silent, then the damage would be irreparable. It was a fact that she cared deeply for Rise more than anyone else. Slowly, it donned on Naoto that maybe all the teasing wasn't just for fun, that they were hints of Rise's true feelings towards her. "Don't." Naoto pulled Rise into an embrace.

Rise's heart only sped up as Naoto wrapped her arms around her figure protectively.

She would be lying if she never felt jealous when Rise conversed with Yu and the other boys. "Don't go." Naoto's fingers clung onto Rise's orange tank top, desperate to stop her from leaving.

She obediently nodded and rested her chin onto Naoto's shoulder. Since their highschool graduation, the Detective Prince had grown a few inches taller than her.

"I had no idea you felt this way."

Rise formed a solemn smile. "You can be pretty dense."

"I should've noticed it sooner."

It's not like she would've done anything about it. Rise was convinced that Naoto could not return her feelings like she had hoped. She felt her hands trembling and her heart breaking. It pained her to experience such unrequitted love.

"...That I have fallen for you." Naoto whispered into Rise's ear.

"What?" Rise pulled away from the embrace, wishing what she had just heard was true.

There was more to it than just being a friend. All those times in the past - the uneasy feeling that overcame Naoto whenever Rise wasn't close, her burning desire to protect her at all costs, it was because she loved her.

"Naoto?" Rise set her hands on her friend's shoulder who remained silent.

It wasn't normal for Naoto to develop such feelings, but it questioned her to reconsider what was. There was nothing normal about jumping into TVs, throwing them into one, or even using a Persona. But even so, these feelings - her feelings went against the status quo. The real question was if she would be okay with it.

As carefully a she could, Rise lifted Naoto's chin until their eyes met. With one glance, she could sense the uncertainty and fear in them.

It was then that Naoto did something unexpected, something completely out of character. She kissed Rise. In hopes of confirming her true feelings, she willed herself to do so, but what started out as a plain and innocent kiss developed into something much more.

With her heart racing and her breath hitching, Rise closed her eyes as Naoto guided her back until she felt the cold, glass mirror. She kissed back with more force than before, unable to contain the wave of emotions she was experiencing in this one life-changing moment.

Naoto rested her hands at the dip of Rise's waist, the latter's hands snaking around her neck. She couldn't stop, didn't want to, not when she had her answer presented so clearly. Her lips matched that of Rise's, opening slightly to accomodate her tongue. It was becoming much harder to breathe as the air around them grew scarce, but she wanted to draw it out as long as possible.

Rise stifled a pleasurable moan as Naoto broke free and sucked lightly on her neck. She scrunched her eyebrows together and arched back, surprised by how Naoto learned to please her so well.

It was only through watching all the sappy romantic movies that Naoto learned such techniques. Their countless sleepovers and movie dates proved to be useful after all.

Rise tugged at Naoto's blue hair, whose signature cap was long gone since the beginning of their passionate makeout. They were both panting hard, trying to catch their breath before speaking a word to each other. "You...caught me by surprise."

Naoto grinned into Rise's neck. It was most certainly out of character for the famed Detective Prince.

"So...does that mean that you..." Rise's words faltered as she took in a deep breath.

"That I love you?" Naoto's breathing hardened as she whispered into Rise's ear. "Yes, I do."

It was music to her ears as Rise's heart leapt with joy. Words could not express the happiness she felt when Naoto rested their foreheads against each other.

"I'm undeniably, irrevocably, in love with you, Rise Kujikawa." Naoto buried her hands into mounds of Rise's brown curls. "I didn't know before, but I do now." She wasn't sure what was in store for them in the future, but one thing was certain, it wasn't going to be an easy road.

"Do you really mean that?" Rise raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't want to think that you're saying all this just so you can get away with kissing me." She broke into laughter as Naoto's blush burned brighter than before.

"What? No! I-I mean it. It wasn't an excuse!" Naoto dropped her hands and shifted her stance uncomfortably. The teasing was sure to increase now that they both confessed their true feelings.

"Oh, it's okay." Rise leaned forward until their noses brushed against each others. "I'll let it slide for today."

Naoto threw her hands up in the air out of frustration and backed away. "I'm not joking. I really meant it Rise."

"I know!" Rise yelled out happily. "But it's just so fun teasing you Naoto-kun." She smiled and held both her hands. "I love you too." Rise jumped once and threw herself at the Detective Prince. Naoto received her with open arms as they twirled around and Rise initiated yet another kiss.

'This is the best Valentine's Day ever.' Rise told herself as she relished the moment, remembering fondly that the kiss was much sweeter than the box of chocolates.

* * *

Thanks for reading


End file.
